Pokes Make First Trip to GCU as Conference Foes
LARAMIE -- The Wyoming Cowboys open a two-game road swing on Saturday with a trip to The Valley of the Sun for contest with Grand Canyon University. The game is set for a 6 p.m. start on the Mountain West Network.
"I want to see where we've grown since our first league game against GCU," UW head coach Sundance Wicks said, referring to an 82-70 setback in Laramie on Dec. 20. "We all know that's a formidable place to play down there. Grand Canyon has one of the best environments in college basketball, but that's on par for our league, as well. Just some great venues out there. So it won't be unlike anything that we haven't seen before out of the Spectrum, Viejas or The Pit -- all good environments. I'm just excited to see our growth of our team where we're going to be at."
Fans can watch, listen to the contest, as well as follow stats on GoWyo.com. The game will be broadcast live on radio over the 26 affiliate stations of the Cowboy Sports Network with Keith Kelley on the call and Kevin McKinney on Color.
About The Teams
Wyoming heads into the contest with a 14-12 overall record and a 5-10 mark in conference play after defeating Fresno State 92-82 on Tuesday. The Pokes average 78 points per game this season and allow 73.5 per night. Wyoming is averaging only 70.7 points per game in conference play. The Pokes are grabbing 35.9 rebounds per game this season to rank third in the conference.
The Cowboys are grabbing just over 12 offensive rebounds per game, which leads the MW. Wyoming is hitting 8.4 three pointers per game for the season and are shooting 34 percent from behind the arc.
Forward Gavin Gores is likely to miss his fourth straight game with a left-hand injury. Guards Matija Belic (ankle) and Jared Harris (toe) also remain sidelined.
"Teams are playing with guys down," Wicks said, adding GCU has been without the services of Caleb Shaw, who averages better than eight points per game. "The great ones adjust. You got to be able to adapt and overcome."
Grand Canyon enters the contest with a 17-9 overall record and a 10-5 mark in the Mountain West after defeating San Diego State 73-63 on Tuesday. Grand Canyon adds 75.2 points per game and allow 68.5 per game. The Lopes shoot 45 percent from the field with opponents shooting 41 percent.
GCU allows only 6.8 threes per game for the season. Grand Canyon grabs 36.4 rebounds per game on the season and are plus-4.6 on the glass.
About The Players
Wyoming is led in scoring this season by Leland Walker at 14.6 points per game for ninth in the MW. He also adds a team-high 3.6 assists per game, which ranks seventh in the conference.
Nasir (Naz) Meyer, who scored a game-high 22 points in the win over the Bulldogs, adds 13.2 points per game this season and adds 4.6 rebounds per game for second on the team. Khaden Bennett adds 10.3 points per game and owns the team lead with 5.1 rebounds per night. He has scored in double-figures in five-straight games.
Damarion Dennis adds 10.4 points per game for the season and is shooting 51 percent from the field.
Dennis and Bennett have both reached double figures in five consecutive outings.
The Lopes are led in scoring by Jaden Henley at 17.5 points per game as he also adds 5.6 rebounds per game. Makaih Williams, a former Wyoming commit who netted a game-high 20 in the meeting in Laramie, adds 13.3 points per game with Nana Owusu-Anane adding 9.3 points per game with a team-high 8.5 rebounds per night. Brian Moore Jr. adds 9.3 points per game.
"I told our guys today in practice, this is the time of the year where teams start to either fizzle out and die, or they find a new sense of life and get reinvigorated by the process," Wicks said. "And it is something that you cannot ever forsake, is the process."
About The Series
The Cowboys trail the all-time series with the Lopes 2-1 with the first meeting coming in 2021. The series features the road team winning all threes contests. GCU took the first meeting this season in MW opener 82-70 on Dec. 20.
Up Next
The Cowboys remain on the road and head to Boise State for a clash with the broncos on Tuesday evening at 7 p.m.
* A UW press release contributed to this report
POKES: The Seven Best Games In The History Of The Wyoming-CSU Border War Rivalry (Naturally, they were all Wyoming wins)
More From 7220 Sports
